Most people are most concerned with loosening up their hips, rather than strengthening them. The truth is that being overly flexible in the hips is just as bad as being too tight, and excess laxity in the hip joint can cause a host of problems, including inflamed IT bands and achy lower backs. I wrote an article about this for Yoga Journal, where I discuss specific things to focus on in a variety of poses to make sure you’re stabilizing the hip joint properly. You can check out the full write-up and slideshow here.